Box cutting and printing machine



(No Model.\ 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. F. TAVENER & D. L. PINE.

' v 1 BOX GUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE. v No. 531,661. I Patented Jan. 1, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 Shets-Sheet 2. 0-. F. TAVENER 81; D. L. PINE.

BOX G'UTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE.

INVE'N I'ORS ig-7 7 6% ll lll l l l Patented Jan. 1, 1895.

.ATTEST we Y w a. W i .m i T. J T i w Y B RB-Mose?" (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

O. F. TAVENER 8RD. L. PINE.

I BOX CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE. No. 531,661.

Patented Jan. 1., 1895.

ATI'ES AT' 'ORNE'V w: mums vnzns 00., Pncroqmu. WASHINGTON, n. c.

(No Model.) 4 sneeps sheet 4.

, 0. P. TAVENER 8t 1). L;. PINE.

' BOX CUTTING AND PRINTING MACHINE. No. 531,661. Patented Jan. 1, 1895.

, l/ a v ,3 A 26 a? 26 l k n q \\\W}\ W fl/ A ATI'EST I wmlviowsf "79 M Ch vze T jxveh e3" Daniez 1: 3. 1516 I JV U ATTO NEY To all whom it may concern.- Be it known that we,'GHA'RLEs F. TAVENER UNITED STATES P TENT ()F ICE.

CHARLES F. TAVENER AND DANIEL 'L. PINE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BOX CU TTING AND PRINTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,661, dated January 1, 1895.

I Application filed July 10, 1 893. Serial No. 480,029. (No model.)

and DANIEL L. PINE, citizens of the United States, residing atOleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented 'which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertai'ns to makeand use the same.

Our invention relates to box cutting and printing machines, and the object of the in vention is toproduce an improved machine for simultaneously cutting and printing blanks for paper boxes, substantiallyas shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In theaccompanying'drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a machine embodyingthe features of our inventiom'and Fig. 2is a longitudinal central sectional elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view'of a section of the ma chine and with the paper roll removed and some of the parts in section to disclose the construction which would appear on a line an enlarged plan view of a section of the endless apron which carries the cutting and printing devices, and showing two sections of said apron with the said mechanism thereon at the center, and designed to illustrate especially the relations of said parts on said sections, as hereinafter more fully described. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on line 6, 6, Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a cross section on line 7,7,Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of two of the cutter plates separated and shown in detail. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of the box blank showing the outlines thereof as produced by the cutters and in dotted lines as it is creasedfor folding. Fig. 10 is a plan I view of one of the sections or carriers of the endless apron, and Fig. 11 is a similar view with the metal blocks which support the knives attached thereto. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of one of the creasing disks and its on which it is supported, the'v'iew corresponding to the view of said parts shownin Fig. 2,

I centric, and a cross section of'the shaft -35 and Fig. 13 is a crosssection of said parts on bility of the same form for cutting andprintingnpon material of different thicknesses without a rearrangement of the parts. The first of these results is effected'by providing an automatic cut-off and starter for the paper feed and a peculiar arrangement of the cutters; the second, by having a depressible or yielding support for the printing form.-

In the drawings, A represents the main frame or bed of the machine, and B is a rocking frame pivoted on the main frame-and adjustable back and forth in respectto said frame by means of the adjusting rods 0, or their equivalent, so as to give a fine adjustment to the parts supported upon said frame. As here shown the screw rods 0 each engage in a nut fixed in or to the frame post B, and the heads of these-rods havebevel gears, Fig, 3, which mesh with bevel gears on a cross rod which is constructed at its end to be engaged by a wrench or key to turn itand thereby turn the screws 0. .A stirrup on the end of the cross rod supports the screws 0. In this manner both said screws are turned at the same time and uniformly,'and the adjustment of the frame posts B is effected. Other equivalent means might be employed for this purose. p Power is applied to the machine through the shaft D which has a gear wheel 2 meshing with a large gear 3 on a shaft E, which is the pivot point of the frame B. This large gear 3 meshes with a smaller gear 40o a shaft F, and upon this shaft F is a steel'impression cylinder 5 of sufficient length to cover the width of the paper which passes beneath the same in the operations of the machine from the roll 6 on the shaft G and over the small roll 7 on the shaft H. The paper roll 6 is turned by the roll 7, and the roll 7 is turned by the cylinder 5, which in turning is operated from the shaft D by 'the gear mechanism hereinbefore described. Now, the cylinder 5 being supported in suitable bearings upon the frame B (see dotted lines Fig. 1), it follows that the position of said cylinder with reference to the paper and the mechanism beneath the same over which the cylinder passes is adjustable as to its elevation and the measure of its pressure downward by means of the screw rods 0 arranged and constructed to ad just the-frame 13 as hereinbefore described.

Having this construction for supplying the paper and making the impression, we provide an endless apron consisting of a series of cross pieces or carriers 8 connected at their ends by means of brackets 9 with the sprocket links 10. For convenience of connection the bracket 9 has inside ledges 1.1 upon which the .links 10 rest, and over the link is a fastening device 12 pressed down thereon by set screws 13, thereby fastening the link securely to said bracket but leaving all the parts in condition for adjustment and detachment, if desired, without affecting in any manner the link connections one with another. In a like manner the wooden cross piece or carrier 8 is held upon the bracket by means of the set screw 14 bearing, in this instance, upon a plate 15 which in turn bears upon the cross piece 8. A similar construction obtains at both ends of said cross piece or section 8 and the same construction and connection of parts prevails throughout the endless apron. To support said apron midway along its top, we provide a suitable shelf or table 16 over which the apron slides as it travels toward the point where the cutting and printing occur, and the brackets 9 have a corresponding bar 17 at each side over which they slide and which serve to take the weight of the ends of the sections and of the chain and brackets. Each of said sections or carriers 8 is designed to carry means for cutting, creasing and printing a box blank, and hence we have the construction of the said section 8 substantially as shown in Fig. 10. This view shows a section cut out upon both edges at its middle to receive castings or metal blocks 19 and 20, shown in Fig. 11, and set in the notches or recesses formed in said section. These blocks are meant to have the shape of the paper box blank to be formed and their configuration will of course be changed as the style of the box is changed, and the knives and creasers are designed to be attached to these blocks 19 and 20. Thus, we have in Fig. 8 the two cutters 21 and 22 adapted to be secured upon the blocks 19 and 20, as shown, for example,

in Figs. 5 and 7, Fig. 7 showing said parts in section so as to more clearly reveal their relation to one another. Any sufficient means may be adopted to secure the said cutters to the blocks, and we make no claim therefor. As here shown we use separate foot pieces bent to be screwed down to the blocks at one end, as plainly seen in Fig. 8, and having the other end engaging the cutters through siots cut for this purpose, and having the outer end of said foot pieces bent, down against the back of the cutters. This, however, is only one of a number of ways which any skilled mechanic could suggest.

Besides the knives or cutters 21 and 2-2 which come along one edge of the box blank, there are corresponding cutters which come along the opposite edge, and then there are creasers 23 to crease the blank as seen by dotted lines 2%, Fig. 9. These are dull blades instead of sharp ones and when the paper is pressed down upon them they form creases in the paper instead of cutting it, and these creases serve as lines upon which the box is folded.

Intermediate of the cutters as described are blocks 25 on which we secure stereotype plates 26 for doing the printing, and these blocks are fixed upon the strips, plates or bars 27 extending centrally and longitudinally over the sections 8 and held thereon by means of the small bolts or screws 28, shown in Fig. 6. At each end beneath the said blocks 25 and the plates 27 are a pair of springs 30, Fig. 7, which serve to hold the block and its stereotype plate normally above the level of the cutters, so that in passing beneath the inking rolls 31 the cutters will not injure the said rolls. In the sections thus equipped with printing plates and cutters, the said plates would stand above the cutters as they reach the cylinder 5, Fig. 7, if they were not dopressed; but they must be depressed against the springs -30 to alevel with the cutters, and this is effected by cross strips or bars 32 fixed at their center to the ends of plates or strips 27-, Figs. 5 and 6. These strips -32 are long enough to extend beyond the printing blocks -2S, so that the impression cylinder 5- will strike them before it does the printing plate or type and depress the same to avoid abrupt contact with the said cylinder. The said pieces or strips 32 are therefore of such elevation as to do this work and come up nearly or quite as high as the top of the plates -2G--.

The paper roll 6 has its shaft G so supported that the shaft is adapted to fall as the paper is drawn off and thus keep constantly in contact with the roll 7, and the said roll 7 is supported by means of links 34: pivoted on a shaft 35, which in turn is journaled in brackets 35' on the frame B, the brackets being provided with set-screws 35" for holding the shaft rigidly in its bearings. Secured to the shaft are a series of creasing disks 36 each arranged upon an eccentric 37 adjustable longitudinally on the shaft so that the distance between the creasing disks may be varied to form the creases 27 (Fig. 9) for different sizes and styles of boxes.

It will be seen in Figs. 12 and 13 that the eccentric is sleeved and splined on the axle -35- so as to be rotated therewith, and has a set screw -45 to fix it upon said shaft when moved longitudinally thereon to any given position. The creasing disk 36-- is fixed upon this eccentric by means of a ring or collar -4t6 secured at the side of the occentric by suitable screws, and in such manner as to leave the disk or creaser free to rotate on the eccentric. When the creasers are to be adjusted toward or from each other to operate in different relations, the eccentric head with its attached creaser is moved bodily upon the shaft 35 and then fastened thereon. by the set screw l5; and when it is desired to vary the distance between the creasers and roll 7 to make a more or less dec'ided crease shaft 35 is rotated so asto move the eccentric nearer to or farther away from the roll and the shaft then secured from further rotation by set-screws 35. There is little waste in the paperbecause the blades which cut the paper into blanks form a complete blank'from it, and the cutters come within an eighth of an inch of each other. Nearlythe exact width of paper to form the blank is used so that there is little waste on the sides, but to insure uniformity we employ trimming disks 38 on the shaft 35 outside the creasers 36.

Incase one or more of the carriers or sec-' tions 8 should be omitted from the endless apron so that there would be a vacancy, and an unavoidable waste of paper corresponding to the vacancy if the paper continued to roll all the time, we have provided an automatic stop for the paper roll so that it will stop rolling until more paper is required, and this is the purpose of the mechanism shown distinctly in Fig. 4, which is calculated to raise the roll 7 from the cylinder 5 temporarily and while the vacancy occurs, and to throw said parts into contact again when the vacancy has been passed. Tothis end we replace the brackets 9- for thesection that may be omitted and on the next section following with similar brackets 9- havinglugs 9 on their top. In the drawings we show a number of sections omitted. Brackets 9' are arranged to engage a laterally projecting pin 10' on a swinging bar1O pivoted at its ends to suitable links 9 supported from the main frame. This bar 10 has other pins on its opposite side between which extends a lever -1O and this lever is free to rotate on a shaft -1O which extends entirely across the machine so as to raise the roller 7 uniformly at both ends. Upon this shaft 10 are hexagons --1O one on each end of said shaft and rigid therewith. The hexagons rest upon brackets J se cured to frame B. Shaft 10 is suspended in hangers l0 which go to the shaft H of roller 7-. A ratchet wheel 1l is fixed on the shaft 10 and a catch or dog 11 from its lower flat position a to the next higher position a. In taking this position the effect'is to raise, the roller 7 from the cylinder 5, as seen in Fig. 4, and thus stopping the feed of the paper. Now, as shown in the drawings, as all the brackets are omitted behind the bracket 9'-at the top in Fig. 4 to the bracket 9 at the bottom of the endless apron Fig. 4, it will be seen that the next bracket which comes into action will be; 9 at the bottom on the next section following, and its operation upon the leverl0 through the intervening mechanism will be repeated and this will restore the hexagon to its next lower position on the rod and drop the roller 7 again upon the cylinder 5-. The effect of the lever 10 upon theshaft and hexagon is to rotate said parts through the interventionof the dog from one position to the other when the lever is moved by the bar l0 Then when the lug -9 passes pin 10'- the bar .lO is drawn back by the spring -12'-,-and this carries the lever back with'it and of course causes the dog to slide over the teeth to engage a lower tooth on the left. In this movement, however, the hexagon and the shaft remain stationary. Then as the next bracket .9'- comes along the hexagon and shaft with the ratchet thereon are carried to the next position in rotation, and so on. I The endless apron is connected by sprocket chains along its sides and turns on rollers a0 and 41 provided with sprocket wheelson which the links 10 of said chains engage.

If the boxes are not to be printed the stereotype plates or their equivalent, as forms set in type or type bars, are omitted.

The cutters 21 and 22 have notches by which one cutter is adapted toset overiand upon the other, and which serve to interlock the said cutters and to assist in holding them in proper position and relations for work.

It will be noticed that there is an idler in the shape of a cylinder, 47, which comes within the endless apron and immediately beneath the impression cylinder 5, and is adapted to take the pressure from said impression cylinder, there being just the proper amount of room between the said cylinder and the idler for the endless apron to pass through and to have the printing occur on the paper, and the paper out into blanks or box lengths as herein described.

The carriers or sections 8 of the endless apron may be with their edges formed as they now appear with the blocks 19 and 20 attached thereto and serve the same purpose, but for convenience we make the section of wood with recesses in its edges, as shown, and attach special metal blocks to complete the structure.

The product of the machine is a blank for making a paper box having the size, shape, and outlines desired and cut and printed and creased ready forfolding or making up. Dif- ITO ferent sizes and shapes of boxes maybe made veneer or other flexible material may be used.

instead of such paper as boxes generally are made of.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described machine for cutting and printing blanks, consisting of a series of t 'ansverse bars and chains connecting said bars at their ends and forming together an endless apron, a depressible printing form secured to each of said bars and knives to out the blank fixed to said bars at the outside of and between the opposite edges of said printing forms, and the platen or cylinder whereby the impressions are made and the blanks are cut, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described machine comprising a carrier having knives to cut the blank, a printing form depressibly secured to said carrier so as to have a yielding contact with the impression platen or cylinderand projecting beyond the cutters, the platen or cylinder, the said parts adapted to cut and print the blank at a single impression, and means for depressing the printing form before it reaches the platen, substantially as set forth.

3. In the herein described machine, the combination of a carrier having knives to cut the blank, a printing form yieldingly secured to said carrier and projecting beyond the cutters, an impression platen or cylinder, and means for depressing the printing form before it reaches the said platen or cylinder comprising bars 32 32 connected with the printingform arranged to be engaged by the platen or cylinder, substantially as shown and de scribed.

t. The herein'described machine comprising devices for feeding the material to be cut, an impression platen or cylinder, a series of removable carriers having knives to cut the blank, and means for stopping the feed of the said material when a carrier blank-space passes before the platen and for automatically starting the sameon arrival of the next carrier, substantially as set forth.

5. In the herein-described machine, the combination of the feeding roll 7 journaled in a movable bearing, impression platen or cylinder 5, a series of removable carriers havingknives to cut the blanks, lug 9 connected with the series of carriers, swinging bar 10 to be engaged by lug 9 retracting spring 12, lever 10 loose on shaft 10 and connected with bar 10 the said shaft, a pawl and ratchet connection between lever 10 and the shaft, the polygonal plate 10 rigid on said shaft, a support for plate 10 and link 10 connecting the aforesaid shaft and the shaft of roll 7, all constructed and operating substantially as set forth.

6. The endless apron having flat cross pieces or carriers and separate metallic blocks secured to said pieces between their ends and having edges corresponding to the edges of the box to be out, and cutters fixed to said edges, substantially as set forth.

7. The endless apron having the carriers or cross pieces with cutters on their edges and a printing form on a spring supported base, in combination with an impression cylinder and means to depress said printing form even with the cutters when it approaches the impression cylinder, substantially as set forth.

8. The main frame, the pivoted frame thereon adjustable back and forth in respect to the main frame, the paper roll, the impression cylinder and the roller between said roll and cylinder supported on said pivoted frame and arranged to turn one upon the other, in combination with an endless apron having carriers with cutters and a printing form between the cutters, substantially as set forth.

9. The creasing device comprising shaft 35 rotatable in its bearing, means for holding said shaft from rotation, eccentric 37 secured to the shaft and adjustable longitudinally thereon, means for holding the eccentric in position, and the creasing disk rotatable on the eccentric, substantially as shown and described.

Witness our hands to the foregoing specification this 24th day of June, 1893.

CHARLES F. TAVENER. DANIEL L. PINE. Witnesses:

H. F. Flsuna, GEORGIA SCI-IAEFFER. 

